American Quarter Horse on track to become Oklahoma's State Horse

American Quarter Horse on Track to Become Oklahoma's State Horse

OKLAHOMA CITY – The American Quarter Horse could become Oklahoma's official state horse after legislation advanced through the House.

House Bill 3261, authored by Rep. Randy Randleman, R-Eufaula, names the American Quarter Horse as the state horse of Oklahoma in recognition of the value of the breed to Oklahomans.

"The American Quarter Horse has had a significant role in our state's history and has been a huge economic driver as well," Randleman said. "I'm pleased that this bill passed the House with such wide support."

For nearly 50 years, the American Quarter Horse Association has held its world championship show in Oklahoma City with competitors from around the world.

House Commitee passes bill clarifying services offered by chiropractors

Randleman Chiropractor Bill Moves Forward

OKLAHOMA CITY – A House committee has approved legislation to clarify what nutritional supplements chiropractors may administer by injection.

House Bill 3246, authored by Rep. Randy Randleman, R-Eufaula, was approved by the House Business and Commerce Committee on Wednesday. Randleman told the committee the legislation will clear up confusion about what services chiropractors can offer and help some patients receive services that they may not have known are available.

Randleman said he was asked by a chiropractor in his district to run the bill. Both the Oklahoma Chiropractors' Association and the Unified Chiropractic Association of Oklahoma are supportive of the language.

"I feel that any bill which helps clarify services is needed in our state right now," Randleman said. "This measure will simply clear up what nutritional supplements chiropractors can administer by injec

OCPA releases Legislative Scorecard for tracking session votes

From the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs:

At the beginning of the 2020 legislative session, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs announced that we would produce a legislative scorecard to be updated throughout the session.

The OCPA board of trustees and staff came to realize that there wasn’t an easy-to-use guide for constituents to understand just how their lawmakers are voting on issues related to free markets, limited government, individual initiative, and personal responsibility. So we decided to change that.

At the beginning of the legislative session, we launched our new Legislative Scorecard, which can be found at scorecard.ocpathink.org. In addition to the scorecard itself, we released a watch list of bills that are eligible to be included on the scorecard. You can view the watch list at ocpa.co/WatchList.

Check out the live scorecard and share it with your family and friends, it even has an easy-to-use locator so anyone can easily find their lawmaker.

I checked out the Muskogee area legislators to see how they've been voting so far this session.

Ouch.

The city of Muskogee is covered by Rep. Avery Frix (45%), Rep. Chris Sneed (47%), and Sen. Dewayne Pemberton (36%).

Pemberton has the lowest rating for any Republican Senator, and fourth lowest in the entire Senate. Half of the Democratic caucus rates higher than him. 24 of 77 House Republicans have lower scores than Frix, while 30 have lower scores than Sneed.

Randleman and Thompson cover far southern Muskogee County, Fetgatter has portions of far western Muskogee County, while McDugle is across the border in Wagoner County. Sen. David has portions of western and northeastern Muskogee County.

OCPA's scorecard has already resulted in fireworks. BatesLine has the details, including a member of the House directing obscenities and giving OCPA's president Jonathan Small "the finger" inside the Capitol building.

House committee passes expansive bill to ban LGBT conversion therapy for minors

Rep. Jason Dunnington (D-OKC) presented HB3872, the 'Youth Mental Health Protection Act', in the House Committee on Children, Youth and Family Services yesterday. The bill bans the use of so-called "conversion therapy" on minors, with no exemptions (unlike a similar bill in Utah that is being pushed as a model in red states by LGBT advocates).

HB3872 defines conversion therapy as this:

1. "Conversion therapy" means any practice or treatment that seeks to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, including, but not limited to, any effort to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward persons of the same sex. "Conversion therapy" does not mean:
a. counseling or mental health services that provide acceptance, support and understanding of a person without seeking to change sexual orientation or gender identity, or
b. mental health services that facilitate a person's coping, social support, or sexual orientation or gender identity exploration and development, including, but not limited to, an intervention to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices, without seeking to change sexual orientation or gender identity;
2. "Gender identity" means the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms, or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual's designated sex at birth; and
3. "Sexual orientation" means heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality, whether actual or perceived.

The bill states that "No provider, as defined in Section 725.2 of Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes, shall provide conversion therapy to any person under eighteen (18) years of age, or to a consumer, regardless of age, for whom a conservator or guardian has been appointed," and that violation of the act "shall be grounds for disciplinary action by the provider's licensing board."

State Rep. Randy Randleman, a Licensed Psychologist in the Eufaula area, argued against the measure. It passed committee by a vote of 10-4:

• Forrest Bennett (D-OKC): Aye
• Jeff Boatman (R-Tulsa): Aye
• Chairwoman Carol Bush (R-Tulsa): Aye
• Rep. Darrel Fincher (R-Bartlesville): Aye
• Ronny Johns (R-Ada): Aye
• Dell Kerbs (R-Shawnee): Aye
• Cyndi Munson (D-OKC): Aye
• Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa): Aye
• Trish Ranson (D-Stillwater): Aye
• Cynthia Roe (R-Lindsay): Aye
  
• Mark Lawson (R-Sapulpa): Nay
• Nicole Miller (R-Edmond): Nay
• Randy Randleman (R-Eufaula): Nay
• Vice Chairman John Talley (R-Stillwater): Nay

Utah passed a similar ban in 2019, which is being pushed as a model for other states, particularly in Republican-led states. However, the Utah bill is much more narrow in scope, and contains exemptions for "a clergy member or religious counselor who is acting substantially in a pastoral or religious capacity and not in the capacity of a mental health therapist", as well as for "a parent or grandparent who is a mental health therapist with respect to counseling a child or grandchild of the parent or grandparent."

Dr. Albert Mohler of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary discussed the Utah situation on his The Briefing podcast several weeks ago. The Dunnington bill follows the very expansive definition of conversion therapy promoted by LGBT advocacy organizations such as GLAAD. The Utah legislation follows a more narrow definition, focusing the ban on treatments that:

"claims that therapy will result in a complete and permanent reversal in the patient/client's sexual orientation; asserts that a complete and permanent change in the patient or client's sexual orientation is necessary; subjects a patient or client to physical discomfort through aversive treatment that causes nausea, vomiting, or other unpleasant physical sensations; or provides electric shock or other electrical therapy, including electroconvulsive therapy or transcranial magnet stimulation." [source]

The audio of the meeting can be heard at this link, beginning at 3:29:05. The text of the bill can be read here.

Charter School Funding, Oversight Focus of House Interim Studies

Charter School Funding, Oversight Focus of House Interim Studies

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Reps. Zack Taylor, Lundy Kiger and Randy Randleman are hosting two interim studies this week to look at several aspects of charter school funding. A third study, hosted by Kiger and Randleman, will focus on charter school sponsor oversight responsibilities.

All studies will take place Wednesday, Sept. 11, in Room 432-A in the State Capitol before the House Common Education Committee.

A study to look at brick-and-mortar charter school funding is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. A study examining the real cost per student for virtual charter schools vs. brick-and-mortar schools will be held at 9:30 a.m. The final study on charter school sponsor oversight responsibilities is set for 10:30 a.m.

State Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, will participate in the latter two studies.

“I feel strongly that charter schools – both brick-and-mortar and virtual – have a role in the learning process for some children in our state,” said Kiger, R-Poteau. “But we must have total transparency into how they receive funding per student and how that money is spent. I don’t believe they should be receiving the same amount of funding as traditional public school that have building and maintenance costs. We also must ensure the entities charged with oversight of these schools are performing due diligence and fulfilling all requirements both to the state and the students they serve.”

Kiger said he has long been concerned over issues brought forward about the operation of virtual charter schools, from unaccounted for equipment, to the high amounts received for midyear adjustments in enrollment, to the bonuses teachers and students receive for enrollment and recruitment efforts.

Taylor, R-Seminole, said he too is interested in looking at the funding formulas for both charters and traditional public schools.

“We need to closely examine how both traditional public schools and our charter schools receive funding for their pupils,” Taylor said. “There are some differences in how they count students. There also are costs that brick-and-mortar schools incur that virtual schools do not, but at the same time there are some revenues that charter schools do not receive that traditional schools do. We want to make sure at the end of the day, that the needs of all students are adequately met and that one school system is not receiving an unfair advantage over another.”

Randleman, R-Eufaula, is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist who serves on the House Common Education Committee. He said he signed on as a study author to ensure the public is better informed about how taxpayer money is spent on all public education options.

“The vast majority of Oklahoma parents choose to send their children to traditional public schools,” Randleman said. “I believe that all children and their parents deserve to have options that may serve the need of the child, such as online vs. brick-and-mortar charters. Still, we must ensure taxpayer dollars are being used in the most responsible way – to help all students.”

Sharp, a 39-year retired public school teacher and a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, was invited to participate in the latter two studies.

“Public education in Oklahoma and funding for our schools has been scrutinized over the years. While our schools have received historic funding the last two years, we’re now faced with new problems. There is an evident lack of transparency of state fund use, proper oversight and accountability within our virtual charter school system,” Sharp said. “As legislators, it’s our job to ensure that Oklahomans’ tax dollars are spent efficiently and not wasted. The rules for traditional brick-and-mortar public schools and virtual charters are different, and it’s causing confusion and problems. Given their astronomical growth and increasing state funding, it’s imperative that we improve oversight, accountability and fiscal transparency of our virtual charter schools. We need to hold all schools, regardless of what kind, to the same high standards.”

Republican Randy Randleman announces for HD15

RANDLEMAN LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR STATE HOUSE

Dr. Randy Randleman, 64, announced Thursday he is running for the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

“We need a higher standard today in the Oklahoma Legislature,” said Randleman in a statement.

“We’re in a crisis and need to change the direction of our state. Leaders with life experience and expertise need to step up to find a better path forward, and I am passionate about doing just that,” Randleman said. He is a conservative with a heart for improving the lives of children.

A mental health expert and foremost authority on classroom management and discipline, Randleman is uniquely qualified to represent area residents in state House District 15. Randleman has worked in 155 school districts and 135 head start centers across Oklahoma.

“I have worked with troubled and challenged kids for my entire life to help restore hope and find a path for success,” Randleman said. “Helping humanity succeed is my life’s mission.”

An avid hunter and gun owner, Randleman holds a Ph.D. in a combination of school and clinical psychology, has served on the Behavioral Health Advisory Committee for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and is immediate past president of the Oklahoma Psychological Association.

Unlike some in his profession, Randleman’s solutions also are steeped in his strong Christian faith, his belief that the family is the core, and that instilling values like hard work and discipline will reverse the downward spiral of students and children.

“I want Oklahoma to reach for a higher standard. We should keep America first, protecting our people. We should make the best decision no matter if it is Republican or Democrat. It is the right thing to do to help Oklahoma and District 15 succeed?”

Most of Randleman’s time is spent advising parents and teachers how to discipline children and manage classroom discipline. He provides trainings for therapists and consults with physicians attempting to reduce the amount of medication used by children. Along with his wife, Jennifer, a school psychologist, Randleman provides evaluations for children in local and area school districts and recommends treatment options.

Randleman grew up in Wilson, north of Henryetta, with two brothers and a sister. His father still lives in Wilson, and his mother is deceased.

“I grew up in a Christian family and my mother was a great support and influence in my life. My father could do almost anything, and consequently I learned to overhaul cars, build houses, farm, ranch, run electrical wiring, you name it.”

“My favorite place was on the basketball court,” he said. “I lived it.”

Randleman earned scholarships to play basketball at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and the University of Tulsa, and as a high school student was the fourth-leading scorer in Oklahoma. Before earning his Ph.D., he coached basketball and taught biology, chemistry, accounting, physiology and anatomy in Morris Public Schools. He worked as a school psychologist in Bixby and Jenks public schools.

Outdoor activities are very much a part of the Randleman lifestyle, from wakeboarding to jet skis, from golf to hunting. Randy and Jennifer also love to travel.

The Randlemans have five children and three grandchildren. He and Jennifer attend Community Culture Church where his son is pastor.

House District 15 is currently held by Democrat Rep. Ed Cannaday, who is term limited. So far, Randleman is the only Republican candidate to declare for the race.

For more information, visit VoteRandleman.com.